Combination ink bottle cap and pen filler



May 24, 1966 J. RAMER COMBINATION INK BOTTLE CAP AND PEN FILLER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 50, 1964 INVENTOR JAMES L RAMER ATTORNEYS May 24, 1966 J. 1.. RAMER 3,252,447

COMBINATION INK BOTTLE CAP AND PEN FILLER Filed April 30, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JAMES L. RAMER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,252,447 COMBINATION INK BOTTLE CAP AND PEN FILLER James L. Ramer, Del Rio, Tex.

(1102 Sumner, San Antonio, Tex. 78218) Filed Apr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 364,032 6 Claims. (Cl. 120---64) This invention relates to a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler. More particularly this invention relates to a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that sealably closes an ink bottle and allows for the filling of a pen with ink from the bottle without removing the cap and pen filler from the bottle.

An object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that allows one handed filling of a pen.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that functions both to close the open mouth of an ink container and to conduct ink to the point of a pen for filling the pen.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that sealably closes the access opening of an ink container to prevent leakage or evaporation of the ink contained therein.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that can be attached to the access opening in an ink container, such as a bottle or the like, at the time of filling, to close the container and need never be removed therefrom, even when filling a pen with ink from the container.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler that includes a pump for forcing ink from the ink bottle, through a tube for delivery to the tip of a pen such as a conventional ruling pen.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a combination ink bottle cap and pen filler of the type just described wherein the pump is operable by the same hand that holds the pen.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in several views.

FIGURE 1 is an external view of an ink container provided with the cap and pen filler of this .invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional elevational View of the combination ink bottle cap and pen filler of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional elevational View of a first alternate embodiment of the bottle cap and pen filler of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of a stopper used to seal the cap and pen filler duringtransportation of an ink container provided therewith.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 77 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is a top elevational view of the pump actuator pedal of the bottle cap and pen filler of this invention.

General description In general the ink bottle cap and pen filler of this invention consists of a pump body sealably attached to the neck of an ink bottle, the body provided in its upper portion with an upwardly opening pump chamber that is closed upwardly by a dome shaped resilient pump dia- 3,252,447 Patented May 24, 1966 phragm. A substantially disc-shaped pump pedal is located adjacent the external convex surface of the pump diaphragm against which a force can be applied to depress the diaphragm into the pump chamber. A passage is provided through the pump body to communicate the pump chamber with the interior of the ink bottle, above the level of ink therein. A passageway through the pump body communicates the pump chamber with the atmosphere; the passageway being provided with a one way check valve that allows air to flow only into the pump chamber. An ink transporting tube depends from the body into the ink bottle to a point below the level of ink in the bottle. An ink delivery tube is swivel mounted in a bore in the upper portion of the body and extends upwardly externally of the body for delivery of ink to a pen. An ink transporting passage communicates the bottom end of the ink delivery tube with the upper end of the ink transporting tube and is provided with a oneway ink back flow check valve.

Specific description For more specific description of this invention reference is now made tothe drawings in general and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2. In FIGURE 1 there is shown an ink container, such as bottle 10, provided with the combination ink bottle cap and pen filler 12 of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, there is shown a crosssectional elevational view of the cap and pen filler 12 of this invention consisting of a pump body 14 having locate-d therein an air or pump chamber 16 with a pump diaphragm 18 and a pump actuating pedal 20. The pump body 14 is provided on its bottom end with an internally threaded bore 22 for attachment about the upper end of the neck of ink bottle 10. A resilient gasket 23 is preferably positioned in the upper extremity of bore 22 to provide a seal between bore 22 and the lip of the neck of ink bottle 10. An ink delivery tube 24 extends vertically from a point near the periphery of the pump body to conduct ink from the pump to a pen or the like.

Thesubstantially circular pump body 14 is provided in its upper portion with an upwardly opening bore 30 extending partially through the body, eccentric of the center axis of the body. Bore 30 terminates downwardly in a nonuniform shaped chamber 32, smaller in effective diameter than bore 30. One side wall 34 of chamber 32 inclines downwardly from apoint near the upper extremity of chamber 32 to the bottom of the chamber. On the opposite side of chamber 32 is a substantially semicircular intrusion 36, the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

It should be noted that the chamber 32 terminates downwardly in a transverse horizontal wall 38 that separates chamber 32 from bore 22. A circular passage 40, concentric with the chamber 32 and registering with the central passage 41 through gasket 23, extends through wall 38 thereby communicating chamber 32 with bore 22 and the interior of the ink bottle 10.

A dome shaped pump diaphragm 18, made of a resilient material, is positioned within bore 30 with its peripheral edge 37 in contact with the shoulder 38 formed by the juncture of bore 30 and chamber 32. That portion of bore 30 located beneath diaphragm 18 combines with chamber 32 to form the pump chamber 16. It is important that diaphragm 18 be sufiiciently resilient that it will have a strong restoring force to bring it back to its original dome shape after it has been depressed or fiattened.

An air passage 42 extends downwardly through the semicircular intrusion 36, terminating at its bottom end in a smaller diameter air passage extension 44. The upper end of air passage 42 is in communication with the pump chamber 16 while the bottom end of extension 44 is in communication with the atmosphere. A conical shaped shoulder 46 is formed by the junction of air passage 42 and extension 44. Shoulder 46 functions as a valve seat for a gravity operated ball check valve 48, positioned in air passage 42, above shoulder 46. Therefore, air can flow upwardly through extension 44 and passage 42 into chamber 16 but cannot flow out of chamber 16 through the same passage and extension.

An ink transporting tube 50 depends from the pump body 14, within bore 22, through passage 43 in gasket 23, into ink bottle 10. The open bottom end of transporting tube 50 extends downwardly to a point beneath the level of ink in bottle 10, preferably to near the bottom interior of the bottle, so that ink will enter tube 50 when the pump is actuated as will be more fully described hereinafter. However, when using cap and pen filler 12 on a bottle the interior of which is considerably deeper than the length of tube 50 it will be necessary to add a telescoping extension 52, as shown in FIGURE 2, in order to effectively extend the bottom end of tube 50 to a point beneath the lowest anticipated ink level within bottle 10. It is preferred that the sliding contact between transporting tube 50 and extension 52 be substantially air tight so that air will not leak into tube 50 when the ink level drops or is pumped below the upper end of extension 52.

An upwardly opening bore 56 is provided in the upper portion of the pump body 14, otfset from the central axis of the body on the same side as tube 50, to receive therein the bottom end 58 of the ink delivery tube 24. The bottom end 60 of bore 56 is substantially conical shaped to serve as a valve seat for a ball check valve 62 positioned within bore 56. Tube 24 is provided with a stop member in the form of an external annular shoulder 63 that limits the distance into bore 56 that tube 24 can be inserted. Shoulder 63 is located such that tube 24 cannot be inserted sufliciently for into bore 56 to interfere with free operation of valve 60. It is preferred that the fit between tube 24 and bore 56 be sufliciently loose that tube 24 can be swiveled through 360 for the immediate convenience of the user but not so loose that ink can leak past this area of contact to the outside of the body 14. An ink transporting passage 64 inclines downwardly from the valve seat 60 into communication with the upper end of the passage 54 through the ink transporting tube 50.

The upper end portion of ink delivery tube 24 is bent such that the end 70 is directed downwardly. The end 70 of tube 56 is provided with a pointed or spear shaped extension 72 that causes ink issuing forth from end 70 to assume the form of droplets. The pump actuating pedal is either formed as a part of the pump body 14, as shown in FIGURE 2, or is in the form of a free floating piston, of somewhat smaller diameter than the interior diameter of the bore 30 and resting freely above and in contact with the pump diaphragm 18. The preferred construction is that shown in FIGURE 2 with the substantially disc-shaped main body portion 73 inclining slightly downwardly above the diaphragm 1'8 and the hinge portion 74 either hingably connected to or formed as an integral part of the pump body 14 at a point on the upper periphery of the body, preferably diametrically opposite from the ink delivery tube 24.

When pedal 20 is formed as an integral part of body 14 it is necessary to remove a portion 75 of material from the inside of the angle formed by the junction of hinge portion 74 with body 14 to allow the pedal 20 to hinge at this point for pivotal up and down movement against the top of diaphragm 18.

A well 76 is provided in the upper surface of pump pedal 20 at a point substantially directly beneath the spout 28 of the ink delivery tube 24. The point or nibs of the pen (not shown) is placed in this well during filling of the pin to insure that the pen is positioned properly and to prevent the ink from flowing from the nibs of the pen when the pen is being filled.

An outwardly extending trough 77 is provided at the bottom of the pump body 14 and at least partially encircles the pump body 14 to receive the-rein any ink that may be spilled during the filling of a pen. It is preferred that trough 77 be located on the side of body 14 toward which pump pedal 20 inclines since any ink that spills during operation of this invention will gravitate in this direction.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 there is shown a modification of the ink bottle cap and pen filler shown in FIG- URE 2 for use with ink containers that are not provided with externally threaded necks. The bottle cap and pen filler of FIGURE 3 is of substantially the same construction and design as that shown in FIGURE 2 except that the cap gasket 23 has been removed and replaced by a frusto-conical stopper 78. Stopper 78 is provided with a central passage 80 that registers with passage 40 through the wall 38 of the pump body thereby communicating the pump chamber with the upper interior portion of the ink container (not shown). Stopper 78 is also provided with an eccentric passage 82 for receiving therethrough the ink transporting tube 50. It is important to the operation of the cap and pen filler of FIGURE 3 that stopper 78 be in sealing contact with the bottom surface of wall 38 so that air cannot leak past this point of contact as a pen is filled by operation of cap and filler device.

With the modification shown in FIGURE 3 the stopper 78 is inserted into the open neck of the ink container to provide a sealed closure and attachment therewith. Ink transporting tube 50 or its extension 52, when used, extends downwardly into the ink in the container (not shown) as above described with reference to FIGURE 2.

Operation When the combination ink bottle cap and pen filler of this invention is used, it is attached to the ink container as shown in FIGURE 1. The operator positions the slightly separated nibs of a conventional ruling pen (not shown) in the well 76 of pedal 20, beneath the spout 28 of the ink delivery tube 24. The operator then slowly depresses the pump pedal 20 thereby depressing the diaphragm 18 to increase the pressure in the pump chamber 16 and in the space above the surface of the ink in the ink container. This forces ink upwardly through the tubular extension 52 and ink transporting tube 50, through the ink delivery passage 64, past the ball check valve 62 and through the ink delivery tube 24. Ink is then discharged from spout 28 into the space between the nibs of the pen. When the pen is filled the downwardly directed pressure on the pump pedal 20 is released thereby allowing the pump diaphragm 18 to expand upwardly creating a vacuum in the pump chamber 16. The difference between the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum within pump chamber 16 applied across check valve 48, unseats valve 48 to allow air to flow into chamber 16 thereby recharging chamber 16 with air and relieving the vacuum therein. Therefore, diaphragm 18 must have enough upward resilient restoring force to create a vacuum within chamber 16 sufiicient to overcome the weight of the valve 48 and unseat it. It is contemplated that metallic springs (not shown) or the like can be incorporated into the ma- Jzerial of diaphragm 18 to give it additional restoring orce.

It should be noted that when pump pedal 20 is released for upward movement and a vacuum forms within chamber 16, ball check valve 62 will gravitate downwardly into its closed position to prevent the back flow of ink from delivery tube 24 into the ink container. Therefore, after the delivery tube 24 has once been charged with ink it remains full until all of the ink in the container has been used.

In this regard it should be understood that when the invention is first put into operation it will be necessary to charge delivery passage 64 and delivery tube 24 with ink. This is done by simply pumping ink from the container into passage 64 and tube 24. That is, pump pedal 20 is repeatedly depressed and released until ink appears at spout 28.

During the filling of a pen using the filler of this invention, should excess ink be delivered to the tip of the pen and overflow the nibs it will tend to flow down the inclined pump pedal 20, thence down the wall of the pump body 14 into the trough 76 provided therefor. Obviously, this will prevent the excess ink from spilling onto the table, worksheet, or similar objects the ink bottle may be placed upon during use.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 there is shown a stopper 80 for sealing bore 56 when bottle 10 and bottle cap and pen filler 12 are to be transported or stored. Ink delivery tube 24 is first removed from bore 56. Stopper 80, which is sized to fit snugly within bore 56 is then inserted therein. Stopper 80 is not easily removed therefore, ink cannot spill from within bottle 10 should the bottle and device 12 be accidentally tipped over. Stopper 80 is provided with an enlarged head portion 82 that can be easily grasped by the operator to facilitate removal of stopper 80 from bore 56 when device 12 is to be placed in use.

The ink pedal can be depressed either by the ink pen tip or by a finger of the hand holding the pen. Therefore, it should be obvious that this combination bottle cap and pen tiller is truely a one handed operated mechanism.

The invention has been described by reference to specific and preferred embodiment. It will be apparent, however, that any modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Accordingly, this invention should be construed not to be limited to the embodiment herein described but should be limited only to the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination ink bottle cap and pen filler comprising a pump body;

means for sealably attaching said pump body to an access opening in an ink bottle;

an upwardly opening pump chamber in the upper portion of said pump body;

an upwardly biased resilient pump diapragm positioned in the upper extremity of said pump chamber to sealably close said pump chamber;

a substantially disc-shaped pedal located adjacent the external side of said pump diaphragm through which a force can be applied to said diaphragm to resiliently depress said diaphragm into said pump chamher to increase the pressure in said pump chamber;

a passage communicating said pump chamber with the interior of said ink bottle, above the level of ink contained therein;

a first conduit means for conducting ink from said container to a point externally of said pump body;

a first valve means located in said first conduit means to prevent back flow of said ink into said container;

a second conduit means for conducting air into said pump chamber;

a second valve means located in said second conduit means to prevent air from flowing out of said pump chamber therethrough.

2. A combination ink bottle cap and pen filler comprising a pump body;

means for sealably attaching said pump body to an access opening in an ink bottle;

a pump chamber in said pump body;

a resilient pump diaphragm disposed in said pump chamber as one wall thereof;

a passage communicating said pump chamber with the interior of said ink bottle, above the level of ink contained therein;

means for releasably depressing said diaphragm into said pump chamber;

an ink transporting tube depending from said body into the interior of said ink bottle to a point below said ink level;

an ink delivery tube for delivering ink to a point external of said ink bottle and said pump body;

an ink transporting passage through said body communicating the upper end of said transporting tube with said delivery tube;

an ink back flow check valve disposed in said transporting passage to prevent back flow of ink into said ink bottle;

an air intake passage through said body, communicating said pump chamber With the atmosphere;

an air back flow check valve disposed in said air intake passage to prevent the fiow of air out of said pump chamber through said air intake passage.

3. A combination ink bottle cap and pen filler for a bottle containing ink, said bottle having an upwardly opening access opening, said cap and pen filler com,- prising a substantially cylindrical shaped pump body;

means for sealably attaching said pump body to said access opening;

an upwardly opening first bore in the upper portion of said body, said bore terminating downwardly in a cavity inside said body;

a substantially flat internal annular shoulder formed by the junction of said =bore with said cavity;

an upwardly biased resilient pump diaphargm sealably received in said bore and in contact with said shoulder;

a passage communicating said cavity with the interior of said bottle, above the level of ink contained within said bottle;

a substantially disc-shaped pump pedal located adjacent the side of said diaphragm exposed externally of said cavity for movement against said diaphragm to releasably depress said diaphragm into said cavity;

an ink transporting tube depending vertically from said body, through said access opening, into the interior of said bottle to a point below the ink level in said body;

an upwardly opening second bore, smaller in diameter than said first bore and spaced slightly radially from the periphery of said first bore;

an ink delivery tube extending upwardly from said body for delivering ink to a point externally of said ink bottle and said pump body, the bottom end of said tube sealably received within said second bore such that said delivery tube is free to swivel about its central axis;

means for limiting the distance to which said bottom end of said delivery tube can be received into said second bore;

an ink transporting passage in said body from the bottom end of said second bore to the upper end of said transporting tube, communicating the interior of said transporting tube with the interior of said second bore and said delivery tube such that ink flows upwardly through said transporting tube, said transporting passage and said delivery tube when said diaphragm is depressed into said cavity;

a first one way check valve means associated with said transporting passage and said second bore to prevent back flow of ink into said bottle;

an air intake passage through said body communicating said cavity with the atmosphere;

a second one way check valve means associated with said air intake passage to prevent air from flowing out of said cavity through said air intake passage;

a radially extending circumferential trough surrounding at least a portion of the circumference of said pump body to receive therein any ink that spills from said delivery tube onto said pump body.

4. A combination ink bottle cap and pen filler according to claim 3, wherein said pump pedal is a disc of relatively hard material having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of said second bore and nesting freely in said second bore, adjacent said diaphragm.

5. A combination ink bottle and pen filler according to claim 3, wherein said pump pedal consists of a substantially disc shaped portion of relatively rigid material located adjacent the external surface of said diaphragm; and

a radially extending hinge portion hingably connected to said pump body, adjacent said first bore, toallow pivotal movement of said disc portion against said diaphragm.

6. A combination ink bottle cap and pen filler according to claim 3, wherein said pump diapharg-m is substantially dome shaped with theconvex side presented outwardly of said cavity, said diaphragm having sufficient upwardly restoring biasing force after being depressed into said cavity to draw enough vacuum in said cavity to cause air to flow through said air intake passage into said cavity.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 721,232 12/1931 France.

82,303 4/1894 Germany.

561,570 3/ 1933 Germany.

431,262 7/1935 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZlO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION INK BOTTLE CAP AND PEN FILLER COMPRISING A PUMP BODY; MEANS FOR SEALABLY ATTACHING SAID PUMP BODY TO AN ACCESS OPENING IN AN INK BOTTLE; AN UPWARDLY OPENING PUMP CHAMBER IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID PUMP BODY; AN UPWARDLY BIASED RESILIENT PUMP DIAPHRAGM POSITIONED IN THE UPPER EXTREMITY OF SAID PUMP CHAMBER TO SEALABLY CLOSE SAID PUMP CHAMBER; A SUBSTANTIALLY DISC-SHAPED PEDAL LOCATED ADJACENT THE EXTERNAL SIDE OF SAID PUMP DIAPHRAGM THROUGH WHICH A FORCE CAN BE APPLIED TO SAID DIAPHRAGM TO RESILIENTLY DEPRESS SAID DIAPHRAGM INTO SAID PUMP CHAMBER TO INCREASE THE PRESSURE IN SAID PUMP CHAMBER; A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING SAID PUMP CHAMBER WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID INK BOTTLE, ABOVE THE LEVEL OF INK CONTAINER THEREIN; A FIRST CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUTING INK FROM SAID CONTAINER TO A POINT EXTERNALLY OIF SAID PUMP BODY; A FIRST VALVE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS TO PREVENT BACK FLOW OF SAID INK INTO SAID CONTAINER; A SECOND CONDUIT MEANS FOR CONDUCTING AIR INTO SAID PUMP CHAMBER; A SECOND VALVE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID SECOND CONDUCT MEANS TO PREVENT AIR FROM FLOWING OUT OF SAID PUMP CHAMBER THERETHROUGH. 